Photo: Michael Jersovs via Pipeburn
As a Formula One exhaust engineer, Tom Hitchcox knows more about going fast than most people out there. He went on to bring his extensive skillset into the motorcycling world back in 2022, building custom exhausts for clients around the UK and beyond. Every now and again, Tom will even tackle a complete build to showcase the full extent of his abilities.
The bespoke gem pictured above is one such specimen, commissioned by a guy named Rob and based on a Triumph Thruxton R. It was only meant to receive some fresh exhaust plumbing upon arrival at the Hitchcox Motorcycles headquarters, but things quickly snowballed as ideas were being bounced around between Tom and his customer. So, with the donor on his workbench, our protagonist dug straight in.
He sent the bike’s inverted Showa forks to a regular collaborator to get anodized and coated in titanium, while the swingarm has been powder-coated black. Putting his fabrication know-how to good use, Tom shortened the Thruxton’s subframe and proceeded to fit his own loop-style rear section. The latter comes with built-in Kellermann LEDs doing double duty as taillights and turn signals.
An elegant custom seat is placed up top, featuring a stylish mixture of black leather upholstery and Alcantara. The whole rear-end construction rests on aftermarket shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs, and the framework got wrapped in a layer of silver powder coating. Pro Kustom lent a helping hand when it came to the fuel tank, first stripping it of the original paint and then polishing the bare metal to a mirror finish.
Hitchcox Motorcycles logos were meticulously painted on the tank by hand, before the entire thing got clear-coated with durability in mind. Tom had the experts over at Maxton adjust the bike’s suspension to the client’s weight and riding preferences, while also fitting the forks with a premium aftermarket cartridge kit. The next step involved simplifying the electronics with the help of one Dave Wood.
A large chunk of the OEM paraphernalia was removed, including vital components such as the control unit and everything associated with the fuel injection system. The downsized electrical suite is wired through a new ECU and a Bluetooth-enabled controller from Motogadget. On the other hand, the motorcycle’s EFI was replaced with carburetors to add an extra dose of retro charm.
Of course, that majestic titanium exhaust was built from scratch by Sir Hitchcox himself, gracefully snaking its way back between the frame tubes. The pipework ultimately ends right beneath the seat, with internal baffles to keep noise levels in check. Down in the unsprung sector, we notice Galfer wave-style brake discs, laced aftermarket rims, and Dunlop TT100 GP rubber. Lastly, the finishing touches included fresh clip-ons, a HEL master cylinder, and a yellow-tinted headlamp.
He sent the bike’s inverted Showa forks to a regular collaborator to get anodized and coated in titanium, while the swingarm has been powder-coated black. Putting his fabrication know-how to good use, Tom shortened the Thruxton’s subframe and proceeded to fit his own loop-style rear section. The latter comes with built-in Kellermann LEDs doing double duty as taillights and turn signals.
An elegant custom seat is placed up top, featuring a stylish mixture of black leather upholstery and Alcantara. The whole rear-end construction rests on aftermarket shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs, and the framework got wrapped in a layer of silver powder coating. Pro Kustom lent a helping hand when it came to the fuel tank, first stripping it of the original paint and then polishing the bare metal to a mirror finish.
Hitchcox Motorcycles logos were meticulously painted on the tank by hand, before the entire thing got clear-coated with durability in mind. Tom had the experts over at Maxton adjust the bike’s suspension to the client’s weight and riding preferences, while also fitting the forks with a premium aftermarket cartridge kit. The next step involved simplifying the electronics with the help of one Dave Wood.
A large chunk of the OEM paraphernalia was removed, including vital components such as the control unit and everything associated with the fuel injection system. The downsized electrical suite is wired through a new ECU and a Bluetooth-enabled controller from Motogadget. On the other hand, the motorcycle’s EFI was replaced with carburetors to add an extra dose of retro charm.
Of course, that majestic titanium exhaust was built from scratch by Sir Hitchcox himself, gracefully snaking its way back between the frame tubes. The pipework ultimately ends right beneath the seat, with internal baffles to keep noise levels in check. Down in the unsprung sector, we notice Galfer wave-style brake discs, laced aftermarket rims, and Dunlop TT100 GP rubber. Lastly, the finishing touches included fresh clip-ons, a HEL master cylinder, and a yellow-tinted headlamp.
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